Egyptians Attack Israeli Embassy

Posted on Sep 10, 2011

Egyptian protesters attacked the Israeli Embassy in Cairo late Friday night, forcing the ambassador and his staff to flee to Israel for safety as the crowd tore down the newly built concrete wall that surrounded the building.

After breaking through the barrier, the mob moved on to the building itself, tossing Hebrew-language documents out of the windows of the 18-story-high embassy. The attack was the first of its kind since Egypt and Israel made peace 32 years ago.

The demonstration had begun peacefully in Tahrir Square, but quickly escalated as protesters moved to the neighborhood where the embassy is located. Officials have said that three people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in clashes between the demonstrators and security forces attempting to take control of the mob. —BF

Al-Jazeera:

The protesters were demanding the closure of the Israeli embassy, an end to gas exports to Israel and nullification of the Camp David agreement between the two countries.

A plane carrying Yitzhak Levanon, the Israeli ambassador, and around 80 others landed in Israel on Saturday, Israel Radio reported, as an Israeli diplomat condemned the attack as a “serious violation” of diplomatic behaviour.

Six Israeli embassy security officers who were still in the building early on Saturday morning were later rescued by Egyptian commandos, and then sent back to Tel Aviv on a second plane from Cairo, said Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston, reporting from Jerusalem.